Thaksin extols skills of daughter

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has affirmed to the public his trust in his daughter’s political abilities, saying that his daughter will be a “more capable” prime minister than him.

During his latest Clubhouse chat on Tuesday night, he told his supporters that Paetongtarn, his youngest daughter and head of the “Pheu Thai Family”, had been aware of politics since she was eight years old because she always tagged along with him.

She has a straightforward and studious personality, and when combined with the knowledge she has about politics, she knows how to make political moves. “We update each other every day,” he said.

He said there is nothing about his daughter in politics that he is worried about, but he is concerned about her health because she is pregnant and still works hard campaigning.

“If you asked me, I think Paetongtarn can be a good prime minister. I’m sure that her straightforward personality, which she gets from her mother, can make her a more capable politician than me,” he said.

He said Pheu Thai will have three prime ministerial candidates. The names will be unveiled on April 5.

When asked if his daughter will be one of them, he said she could be a good premier. She is keen on technology and represents a new generation, while an adviser to her, Srettha Thavisin, is good at economics and running a business. Both have different characters, while the third candidate will have another speciality but the name will not be announced until the date, he said.

For him, the prime minister should be a considerate person and wellrounded, especially on technology, economics and global trends.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai yesterday announced a rally tomorrow at Stadium One community mall in Pathum Wan district, when it will unveil its 33 Bangkok candidates and 10 new policies for the capital. Wichan Meenchainan, head of the party’s Bangkok division, said the party had to accept the way the Election Commission designed its election maps despite some disagreements.